This invention relates to a time synchronizer for an analog timepiece. Technology in this area includes means by which a time signal is derived and generated from a master timepiece at periodic intervals and is transmitted to a slave timepiece whereby a correction of the time of the slave timepiece takes place. Much of the recent work in this area has involved generation and display of very accurate time by means of purely electronic timepieces. However, there are still many applications which lend themselves to use of a conventional analog timepiece, including those driven by mechanical gear sets. Many known electronic circuits for the detection and correction of time errors are not suitable for use with an analog timepiece since sufficient energy must be provided to electromechanically move the hands of the timepiece. Examples of technology directed to time synchronization in electronic timepieces are U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,597; U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,019 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,376.
In many known master/slave timekeeping devices actual time is kept by the slave, subject to correction at predetermined intervals by a synchronization signal transmitted to the slave timepiece from the master timepiece. In accordance with the present invention, a timekeeping signal is transmitted by a time source to an analog timepiece and activates electromechanical means for moving the hands of an analog timepiece. At a predetermined periodic time interval a separate time correction signal is transmitted from the time source to the analog timepiece for correcting its time and putting it back into synchronization with the time source.